Changeling
The Changelings were liquid-based, shapeshifting lifeforms native to the Gamma Quadrant of the Milky Way Galaxy. They mainly existed in the form of the Great Link, and many indiscriminately considered them the Founders of the Dominion. Physiology Changelings were at least partially composed of morphogenic enzymes, the molecules responsible for their shapeshifting ability. ( ) Common characteristics of Changelings included their biomolecular structure and morphogenic matrix. In its natural state, a Changeling's body was a formless gelatinous mass, to which it had to revert every eighteen hours (Odo's example) in order to regenerate. ( ) If a Changeling remained in solid form for longer than sixteen hours, their body began to deteriorate and peel or "flake" away. , it was stated that Odo had to rejuvenate every six hours. In the final version of that episode, this duration is instead said to be every eighteen hours; in later episodes, it is consistently stated as being every sixteen hours. Reversion to a gelatinous state was considered by DS9's producers to be "a limitation unique to Odo," due to not having yet mastered all of his abilities. This could be proven true, as the Female Changeling claims that she didn't take another form in weeks, when Weyoun suggests that she might relax in her liquid form in .|Since Changelings do not eat, "Robert Wolfe used to theorize," said Ronald D. Moore, "that the Changelings pulled their energy directly from subspace (or some other quasi-scientific realm)." Wolfe's theory also stated that "Changelings use some sort of subspace 'pocket' to store additional mass during a morph." }} Changelings could take virtually any corporeal form, ranging from humanoid aliens to fog to reflective surfaces. They did not seem to be able to exist as or change to forms of energy. ( ) They, or at least the Founders, also had the ability to closely mimic humanoid personalities to the point where even close friends and family often could not distinguish them from the originals. ( ) They could transform parts of themselves into smaller electrical devices, like a combadge, and make it operational, and were also capable of at least mimicking the shape and operation of a computer. Changelings could also mimic the form of fire and clouds. ( ) Starfleet sensors, as of 2371, failed to recognize Changelings when they mimicked other forms. The Obsidian Order created a prototype quantum stasis field generator that could prevent a Changeling from shape shifting. ( ) implies that a Changeling is particularly difficult to detect. DS9 Science Consultant André Bormanis commented, "We wanted to sell the idea that detecting a changeling via sensors was a very difficult thing .... If we made it easy to detect a changeling, then the changeling ability is no great advantage." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 366)}} The thoughts and emotions of Changelings could not be read by Betazoids. ( ) Changelings could survive in the vacuum of space, and were highly resistant to disruptor fire. ( ) However, in the mirror universe, "our" Julian Bashir shattered that universe's into pieces with a single shot. ( ) In , Odo is shown to have the ability to regroup himself after being shattered. Since neither the Mirror Universe Odo nor the Changeling who took Martok's form reformed, it is safe to say they were dead. In , Odo also talks as if he could die from lack of air or heat, even though he has no metabolism that would need either.}} Changelings – or at least Odo – had no sense of smell. ( ) Laas stated, however, that if his hands had Klingon blood on them, they would emit a stench, showing that after living among solids for years, he was at least familiar with the concept. ( ) Even when in humanoid form, Changelings did not need to take in sustenance. Odo noted that he once attempted to eat after assuming humanoid form for the first time, but found the experience not only unsatisfying due to his lack of tastebuds, but "messy" for reasons he chose not to elaborate. ( ) Doctor Bashir once asked Odo for a sample of himself to replicate organs, which begs the question how he would get that part of himself back, if he never adds matter to his body. A telepathic energy matrix (which caused the crew of Deep Space 9 to fight for control of that space station) was rejected by Odo's lack of a humanoid brain. It did have the ability to warp his face and knock him unconscious, though he retained his humanoid shape. ( ) There was an apparent telepathic aspect to the Changeling species, evidenced in the fact Odo felt drawn toward the Omarion Nebula, which was once home to the Founders. ( ) However, it is possible that the instinctive desire to visit the nebula was "hardwired" into him. Changelings had the ability to sense, in most cases, the presence of other Changelings. ( ) The Jem'Hadar may also have the ability to sense Changelings, though this ability might not be telepathic but an imprinted response to a Changeling's gelatinous state, as a child Jem'Hadar who sensed Odo did not respond to him until he temporarily reverted to that state. ( ) Further suggestion of a telepathic trait arose when Odo's remaining morphogenic enzymes were stimulated by a plasma field, creating a miniaturized "Great Link" with Benjamin Sisko, Jadzia Dax, and Elim Garak. ( ) At the very least, there exists a "hive mind" among the species when joined with the Great Link. ( ) For instance, Odo once commented, "During the Link, I sensed that the other Changelings were trying to hide things from me... faces, names." ( ) The Founders of the Dominion were Changelings, and made up the majority of the Dominion's leadership. Changelings preferred to think of themselves as a drop (the individual) in the larger ocean (what they called the Great Link). A Changeling, therefore, typically had little sense of individual identity. Being a liquid-based lifeform, in order to link with other Changelings, they simply reverted to this state and the liquid blended together, creating a link between them. ( ) It has been suggested that Changelings are biologically immortal and therefore never die of old age. ( ) However, it has been proven possible to kill Changelings by a number of means. Severe cases of radiation poisoning can prove fatal. ( ) Changelings have also been killed by phaser or disruptor fire, at sufficiently high settings. ( ) A Changeling has also been observed succumbing to trauma following the impact of a ship crashing into a planetary surface (a crash in which the ship's intertial dampeners had failed). ( ) A Changeling could also be transformed by the Great Link into a solid permanently. ( ) Also, an infant Changeling once transformed Odo into a Changeling again, absorbing itself into his body, but it died in the process. ( ) Culture Changeling culture revolved around the Great Link and shapeshifting. While in the Link, a Changeling had little sense of time or its individual self, and saw itself as a part in a larger whole. Most Changelings, including Odo, displayed a marked preference for order, efficiency and following rules, which Odo interpreted through the lens of justice but other Changelings viewed through the lens of control. Shapeshifting gave Changelings physical empathy with other lifeforms, allowing them to gain knowledge of them, though they spent most of their existence in the Great Link. History Mirror universe In the mirror universe, the Bajoran wormhole remained undiscovered as late as 2375. Therefore, Changelings and other species native to the Gamma Quadrant remained unknown to the peoples of the Alpha Quadrant. The only exception was , who was killed on during a workers' revolt in 2370. ( ) People * Female Changeling * Laas * Odo ** * * * * * List of unnamed changelings Appendices Background information Examining the species The writers of DS9 believed there was a common "rigidity" among both the Founders and Odo. Robert Hewitt Wolfe described this characteristic as basically being "an obsessive-compulsive control freak." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 300) suggests Changelings have a lifespan of at least two hundred years, although if Odo was indeed two hundred years old when he traveled back with the in an alternate timeline in , that would indicate Changelings could live for at least four hundred years. It has also been suggested that Changelings might be immortal, with the Female Changeling remarking (in ), "You are a Changeling, you are timeless" – a logical assumption, given that Changelings don't appear to have any cells that might decay over time. Though Odo and Laas have been described as male and the Female Changeling as female, it is unclear what anatomical differences, if any, exist between male and female Changelings. Also, although an infant Changeling appears in , it is never made clear exactly how Changelings reproduce. The most popular theory is that they reproduce , and simply maintain a male or female form to make it easier for other species to relate to them. At one point, Odo assumed the form of the Female Changeling, which would support this hypothesis. ( ) Odo did display romantic affection for some female humanoids, most notably Kira Nerys, and was capable of sexual intercourse with humanoid species, but wasn't able to reproduce with them. He even had a sexual encounter with the Female Changeling, suggesting that two Changelings can mate in humanoid form, though the Female Changeling considered this version of intimacy unnecessary for their race, and pale compared to the Great Link. ( ) The Changelings frequently assumed a form similar to that of Odo; however, Odo's unique appearance was the product of his difficulty with assuming convincing humanoid forms, not mandated by his racial makeup. Other Changelings have no difficulty with assuming convincing humanoid forms. The first time this was established was in . "Not only do they look like you, but they copy your brain and know what you know. That's very dangerous," said René Echevarria. (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 91) As the Changelings other than Odo are capable of looking identical to humanoids, they must therefore assume an Odo-like form out of choice. This may be because, before meeting Odo and the races of the Alpha Quadrant, they had no need to reveal themselves individually to outsiders, and thus had no need for a unique humanoid form to differentiate themselves from other species. Odo would have provided them with a useful template. Ronald D. Moore commented, "Odo modeled his look after Dr. Mora and the Founders then modeled their look after Odo. They did this initially as a compliment and way of reaching out to their long-lost Changeling, and later they kept doing it as a dig and reminder to him of his own limitations." Although much older than Odo, Laas also seemed to have similar facial features, probably because of the same reason. Having been found by the Varalans, it can be assumed that the unique bumps on his forehead are typical Valaran features. (However, Odo doesn't have the Bajoran facial features of Mora Pol and other Bajorans; he comments in that he always had trouble with their noses.) The Female Changeling appears to be left-handed in . However, Odo seems to be right-handed during the course of the series. It is unclear whether a Changeling has a dominant hand when assuming humanoid form, or simply chooses which hand to use for different tasks. Odo assumes the shape of a computer in , but it is unknown whether he could simply mimic the computer's form or whether he could actually perform the complex calculations a computer makes. Changelings do grow physically, to a point; as Changelings don't eat or drink, it is unclear exactly where the 'new' mass and energy come from. In , Julian Bashir asks Odo for a sample of his liquid form, and Odo only agrees on the condition that he will get it back after Bashir's tests are complete. The articulated goo of the Changelings was probably one of the most challenging special effects to create for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The standard process of creating the effect and inserting it into scenes typically involved action plates, background plates, blue-screen photography, and CGI, all integrated together, as seamlessly as possible. The Changeling goo (also known as "Odo goo") was specially designed computer animation. There was also a generic wire-frame CGI model that could be animated for representing the beginning of a Changeling transforming from its liquid state into its humanoid form. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 104) Episodic developments Apart from Odo, Changelings were first mentioned in . In , it is suggested that a malevolent Changeling (who turns out to be Odo) is responsible for several attacks on space station Deep Space 9, although Ira Steven Behr was unimpressed with this plot point. "The red herring didn't quite work for me all that much," Behr commented, "but it's window dressing .... It doesn't annoy you because you're buying the package." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 68) Changelings other than Odo were referred to again in , which Robert Hewitt Wolfe noted was one of the first mentions of the Changelings having a mythology and being mythological lifeforms. "It was a really nice bit. It's just one of those things; it's like that little seed that you start rolling down the hill, and it just gets bigger and bigger." ("Section 31: Hidden File 02", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) The Changelings were thereafter introduced in . In that episode and , Michael Westmore was required to create the makeup for the Founders as well as Odo. For the non-speaking Founders, Westmore simply used foam latex appliances from the exact same molds as were used for Odo. The makeup designer specifically requested casting, for these parts, actors whose faces were similar in size to Odo actor Rene Auberjonois. For each of the Founders with dialogue, a mold was taken of their face then an Odo-like mask was sculpted over it. Explained Westmore, "It's all one solid piece that glues down around the mouth and eyes. The problem with that face is it has to line up perfectly with the mouth and eyes." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 113) Another issue with the Changeling makeup during the making of the "The Search" two-parter was that each mask could be accidentally broken by its wearer laughing. ( , issue #222, p. 30) Although the makeup department attempted to use the Odo mask for other Changelings as they started appearing, some of the faces of the performers portraying main Changeling characters were so unique and different that Auberjonois' mask couldn't be a one-size-fits-all prosthetic appliance. Consequently, the makeup department ultimately had to craft new masks for principle Changelings. A typical example of such makeup (Odo's) usually took two hours to apply. (Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts, pp. 137 & 139) The sophistication of the average morphing shot was increased tenfold for . Visual Effects Supervisor Glenn Neufeld was hugely surprised by the complexity of that footage, which the visual effects team had only six weeks to do. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 105) Morphs performed by Changelings in "The Adversary" were actually designed by Glenn Neufeld and executed with CGI by VisionArt Design & Animation. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 114) "We had a ton of morphs," said David Livingston. "You're never going to see more morphs in forty-three minutes than you will on this show." The extreme amount of morphs in "The Adversary" resulted in the episode having an unusually long production period. (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 99) Michael Eddington actor Kenneth Marshall witnessed, first hand, the shooting of some of the footage required for the morphs. "It's fascinating how they do the morph sequences," he commented. "I haven't actually seen them do the special FX, but they shoot it three different ways on the set. In the last shot, everyone tiptoes off the set so as not to disturb anything even a fraction of an inch." (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine, Vol. 15, p. 53) Due to the Founders infiltrating the Alpha Quadrant, there was much conjecture about which of the characters might be a Changeling. "Many people have gone down many different paths with speculating who is a changeling and who isn't," observed Ira Steven Behr. "There's some great theories." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 43) More Changeling sequences were created in CGI for "The Begotten", involving Odo and the Changeling infant in separate shots. For one scene in which Odo watches the baby Changeling shape-shift into a rough approximation of his face, the two Changeling characters were filmed on either side of a split-screen shot. Also, both footage of Odo transforming into a hawk in "The Begotten" as well as a shot showing the demise of a slowly dying Founder in were created with CGI done by VisionArt. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 29, Nos. 6/7, pp. 41 & 42) Several shots of Changelings were also created with visual effects for . In that case, the footage included Laas in the form of a fish-like creature, flying through space, and Odo representing shimmering lights. Both shape-shifting sequences were worked on by Visual Effects Supervisor David Stipes, Visual Effects Coordinator Adam Buckner, and CGI effects company Digital Muse, where Matt Merkovich participated in rendering the footage as CGI with the computer program LightWave 3D. Stipes was impressed by both of the two sequences. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 32, Nos. 4/5, pp. 64, 65 & 66) Robert Hewitt Wolfe remarked that the figurative seed he imagined being rolled down a hill with the advent of Changeling mythology in "Shadowplay" was, by the conclusion of the series, "just huge." ("Section 31: Hidden File 02", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) Morphs done by Changelings in DS9 series finalé were created by Digital Muse and were intended to be as similar as possible to the other morphs in the series. "David Lombardi is doing some of them, and Brad Hayes," noted David Stipes. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 32, Nos. 4/5, p. 90) Apocrypha In the novel Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Volume 3, Odo learns from an elder Changeling that there are no "infant" Changelings, but just Changelings that are kept separate from the rest of the Great Link, as Changelings cannot reproduce since the departure of the ancient Progenitor centuries ago; Odo, Laas and the rest of the Hundred were sent out to find the Progenitor. During the novel, Odo discovers what appears to be the corpse of the Progenitor, prompting the rest of the Link to disperse, leaving Odo and Laas as the only two Changelings left to manage the Dominion. de:Wechselbalg ja:可変種 nl:Vormverwisselaar ru:Меняющиеся Category:Nicknames Category:Species